Be careful what you blog
...consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (James 3:5)
Ok, here's my confession... I had to write the owner of a blog this morning and ask to have a comment I'd posted removed. Basically, I felt God was telling me I should have gone to the party I was talking about and expressed my feelings to them FIRST.
I was humbled and convicted and I want to share a few insights that I believe God gave me concerning blogging. From now on these are going to be some guiding principles for me...
Speaking my mind
First, I know how easy it is to just speak my mind on a blog. But is that what God wants?
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak..." (James 1:19)
God wants us to really think about what we're writing, and in many cases it would be better if we just didn't say anything at all! Blogging doesn't encourage us to be "slow to speak", but God's word does.
What you say really matters
...consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (James 3:5)
Your little blog post has the potential to start a fire that you can't stop! How often do we really think about that? When James wrote this verse there was no mass media, but even then tiny little comments had the power to spread like wildfire destroying everything in it's path. Sure, you're just sitting alone with your keyboard, but you have the power to spark a fire that spreads around the world online!
God convicted me about the tiny little comment that I'd posted, and used this verse to show me how tiny little comments can do great big damage!
God also says the tongue is a "...restless evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:8)
I was struck by the fact that the tongue is "restless", and not for good either! If you're feeling restless and you've just got to say something, maybe you'd better stop and really think it over. If allowed to follow it's course, our tongues will spew out evil that the bible says is "full of deadly poison". Since this is the tendency of the tongue I had better be very careful. I really don't want to be poisoning people with my words or spreading a fire from hell with my posts and comments. (The bible says the tongue is set on fire by hell itself -James 3:6.) So much for "speaking my mind"!
A guiding principle for posts and comments
Here's what God showed me... In some situations I have no business talking publicly about a thing before taking it privately the person it might affect. We're supposed to do this even if someone sins personally against us.
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." (Matthew 18:15)
How many people fail to do this when posting "comments"? This is where I was convicted. I had never voiced my concerns to the actual party involved, but here I was talking about it on a public blog that the whole world could read! It didn't matter if what I was saying was true or not, it didn't matter if I was right... had I ever gone to the people I was blogging about? No!
It's much easier to blog about someone or something than it is to actually go to your "brother" and talk to them directly. But going to them directly will make it personal, and that's exactly what God wants. He wants you to care enough about them to get personally involved and treat them as you would have them treat you.
Mercy triumphs over judgment
When wondering how I should speak or act on a blog this verse speaks to me...
"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" (James 2:12)
Am I full of mercy? Peace loving? Considerate? God cares about my attitude and love for the people I relate to.
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (James 3:17)
This verse gives me an excellent insight into how I should conduct myself when posting and making comments on blogs. It's a good checklist especially when I'm getting passionate about a subject.
Speaking the truth in love
I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit convicted me today. I can be pretty passionate about things, but He showed me how my passion about a subject cannot be used as an excuse to just speak my mind. My passion had compelled me to speak what I felt was the truth, but His Spirit compelled me to not just speak, but walk in love.
I have a feeling I'm going to be much more careful posting comments on blogs from now on!
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ." (Ephesians 4:15)